Chapter 1. Beachhead - Part 1
Description The universe is utterly unlike our own. Burning orbs of fire, scarred balls of rock hanging in the void, vast realms of nothingness. '' ''Empty, pitiless, terrifying. '' ''Some of the worlds are more than barren, airless rocks. Cloaked in dirt that seems fertile ground for tenacious, foliaged forms, they choke the surface and deny the light. Strange things stalk and shuffle and slither through the undergrowth. '' ''We were fortunate to avoid settling on such a world. Our world, the world we named Vanguard on account of us being the Spearhead, is a white wilderness broken only by still and silent forests, icy brooks, and perpetual grey skies. In its near-ceaseless white embrace, where the sky can sometimes be mistaken for the land, it is reminiscent of the homeland but if you look closer it cannot hide its grotesqueness. Things scurry under the snow, others open dark wings among the shadows; chilly waters crash and shriek against rocks; worst of all bursts of color sometimes burst forth unexpectedly--sunlight on fish scales, winter meadows blooming with flowers, sweeping curtains of green and purple light in the starry night. '' ''No words can do the horror justice. '' ''My forces suffer, but they are resolute. Their suffering is nothing as next to the plague that spreads through the homeland, Coroz. Every message from the Communion speaks of the blight growing, more and more of the world becoming dead and blackened. '' ''There are many paths we might follow to end this nightmare. Even in the little time I have spent in this world, I have begun to form my own ideas for what is best. But I am merely an instrument of the Communion, faithfully relaying the situation here to the best of my ability. They decide. '' ''I await their orders. Objective Explore Vanguard and its neighboring systems are only one small corner of this universe, and yet they are brimming with mysteries. We would be foolish to expose ourselves to other dangers before we have learnt some of their secrets, and reaped some of their bounties. Explore 5 Curiosities with a Hero of Level 3 of higher. (0/5) Reward: 200 Dust. Explore: Completion Through brave expeditions we have mapped and catalogued Vanguard's horrors, from vast frozen caverns pierced with spears of ice to great floating glaciers that drift through cold, dark seas. With stockpiles of frozen fish, briny seaweeds, haunches of wild anmials--putrid organic matter that goes for sustenance in this hostile universe--we have acquired useful commodities should we encounter other races. We are more certain of ourselves here now, but I, the Grand Viceroy of New Coroz, cannot help thinking that the Communion wasted precious time by ordering us down this path... Strengthen Here, in this universe, we are far from our homeland, our kin, our strength, for now, we are vulnerable to the monsters that lurk out there in the void. We must build a world that will become a fortress. Construct 11 System Improvements in one System. Reward: 50 Titanium. Reach Out The situation in Coroz is so bleak that we must put our trust in the other races of this galaxy. Surely they will understand our plight and help us? Reach 50 points in relations with 2 Minor Civilizations. Reward: 80 Influence. Leads To / Leads on From Does not lead on from any quest. Leads to Chapter 1: Beachhead - Part 2